The Family You Choose
by boop-oop-ee-doo
Summary: Wanda Maximoff loved her twin brother, But when she was a little girl, she also wished for a little sister. Instead, she got a big sister in Natasha Romanoff. She had almost forgotten her childhood wish for a little one, until, after Wanda gets engaged to Vision, Morgan Stark has a question for her. One-shot, set after 'Memories'.


AN:Enjoy!

* * *

Wanda Maximoff had loved her twelve-minutes older twin brother, Pietro. For a long time, he had been all she had, and for a long time, all she thought she needed.

It wasn't that way anymore, and when Wanda really thought back, it hadn't always been that way, even before. When she was a little girl, Wanda had wanted something a lot of little girls wanted. She had her 'big' brother, and she loved him.. most of the time. But she also wanted a little sister.

So, just before her sixth Birthday, Wanda had decided to ask her parents if she could have one.

"Mama, "Papa, can I have a little sister?"

"W-What?!" Her Father had almost choked on his tea, probably fearing her request would be followed by the dreaded question of where babies come from.

"Not right now, _fata dulce" _Her Mother had chuckled. "Maybe ask again in a few years, okay?"

"Okay, Mama."

A little while before her tenth Birthday, Wanda had asked again. By that age, the boy/girl divide had become much more substantial. Pietro screamed 'boy' in every way. He was rough and tumble, thought fart jokes were the height of humour, and had developed an aversion to baths, so sometimes, he smelled. Wanda would have liked a little sister to read to and play dress-up with, who still liked baths and smelling nice.

The answer to Wanda's second request was also a 'no', although this time, her Mother had offered her more explanation as to why. The family could not afford anything a new baby would need, and the apartment they lived in was simply too small. Aside from these points, there was no way to guarantee Wanda a sister. She might end up with a little brother instead.

Wanda loved Pietro, even when he smelled bad. But she did not think she wanted another brother, so she let the matter go.

* * *

Later, after the bomb had destroyed her home and torn her family apart, after she and Pietro eventually made the decision to escape the broken Sokovian Foster care system and flee to the streets, Wanda Maximoff found herself very grateful to have a brother.

Pietro always did his best to make sure Wanda had enough to eat, even if it meant he had to go without. When Wanda's body had begun to develop, he had developed a steely glare to chase away any unwanted male admirers.

As grateful as she was for Pietro and his fiercely protective nature, there were a few things that would have been easier to navigate if she had another girl around to share them with. Like, for example, when the day had come that Wanda decided that she needed a bra, or the first time she had needed things for 'that time of the month'. Pietro had fought the embarrassment of both situations impressively, but..

It still would have been nice to have a sister.

* * *

She had eventually found one, although, Wanda remembered quite painfully now, she had never spoken of the bond aloud.

Wanda never could have imagined that she would one day think of Natasha Romanoff as a sister. After Ultron, as the new Avengers team was forming, they only had the most tenuous of connections. The two women were teammates, sometimes training partners. But their beginnings had been tainted by Wanda's early actions, so their relationship was a professional one, nothing more.

Then the Civil War had happened. Or really, the aftermath of it. Though Natasha had fought on Tony Stark's side, she had eventually risked her own life and freedom to help Cap rescue his team from The Raft.

As they'd all fled in the jet, Natasha's eyes had fallen on Wanda's neck, on the angry welts that the shock collar had caused, and her eyes had clouded over, a quiet fury sparking within. She'd told Clint to take her place as co-pilot, then took Wanda back to where they kept the spare medical supplies.

"Hold your hair away from your neck a bit" Natasha ordered, pouring antiseptic onto a cloth.

"Okay.." Wanda had been in too much pain to argue much. She'd winced as the Black Widow dabbed at her wounds.

"We should have beat up more of those guards.." Nat murmured.

"I'll be fine.."

"I know you will. Still wish I'd beat up more guards.."

* * *

Now on the run, Natasha had helped Wanda dye her hair, and Wanda had helped Nat with hers in return. It was Natasha who let her know that Vision had most likely sent the security codes to get them out of the Raft. Natasha who had set up the meeting when Wanda decided that she needed to see him, and all of the meetings after that.

Natasha had taught Wanda to mask her accent. Taught her what to wear and how to move to avoid being noticed. Eventually, their time together became more than training, and a true bond was formed. Yes, bonds do tend to form when people are stuck together for extended periods of time, but it was more than that. Natasha was not the little sister Wanda had wanted, but she was the big sister that Wanda hadn't realised she needed.

When Wanda had departed for another visit with Vision, this time in Edinburgh, Natasha had hugged her a little tighter than usual.

"Be careful, okay kiddo? Remember to check in."

"Of course. I always do.."

"I know" Nat had frowned. "I just.. have a bad feeling."

* * *

As it turned out, Natasha's bad feeling had been horribly right.

Vision had been killed by Thanos for the Mind Stone, and Wanda, along with many others, had been erased from existence.

Then, what felt like just moments later, but was actually five years, Wanda was alive again. But Vision was still dead, and, as Wanda had noticed sooner than most of the restored, Natasha Romanoff was gone. And Wanda Maximoff, filled to the brim with righteous fury, had confronted Thanos one-on one.

_"You took everything from me."_

She was not just talking about Vision.

* * *

Vision, miraculously, had come back to her, and he and Wanda had, quite unexpectedly, found a Home in the Lake House belonging to the late Tony Stark, with his wife and his daughter. While having Vision back did not completely dull the pain of Natasha's loss, the need to help him recover from his ordeal distracted Wanda, for a while.

At least until Vision had proposed.. and the person who Wanda would have most wanted to tell wasn't there.

* * *

One Sunday morning, Wanda, curled against Vision's chest, sighed as she examined her engagement ring, the red stone glinting softly in the sunlight.

"Are you alright, my love?" Vision asked softly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Of course I am" Wanda propped herself up to look at him properly. "I'm engaged to the love of my life."

"So am I" Vision replied with a smile, glancing at her ring. "Are you ready to show that off?"

Every second Sunday the surviving Avengers would gather at the Barton Farm for a 'Family' lunch or dinner, and Today was the first of these gatherings since Vision had proposed. Wanda managed a smile for him. She loved her ring, and would be proud to show it off.

"Yes" she replied with a grin. "I am."

* * *

At the Farm, as soon as she made mention of her ring, Wanda had been descended upon, congratulations flowing in from all directions. At one point, Wanda had lost track of Vision, and later discovered that Clint had pulled him aside to deliver a few warnings. Wanda had kissed the now officially retired Avenger on the cheek and quietly thanked him

Later, when they got a chance to escape all their well-wishers, Wanda and Vision found a tree that they could sit under to watch the sunset.

"Wanda!"

"Vision!"

The couple looked up, their quiet interrupted when they saw Morgan Stark and Nathaniel Pietro Barton came racing towards them. Thankfully, they both loved Morgan and Nate, so they didn't mind the interruption.

"Hello" Vision smiled.

"What are you two up two?" Wanda chuckled.

"Lila says that when you marry Vision, you're gonna be Morgan's sister!" Nate bounced excitedly.

"Sister-In-Law" Vision gently corrected them.

"Oh.." Morgan's face fell a little.

"What's wrong?" Wanda frowned.

"Vision's a really fun big brother" said Morgan. "I thought it would be fun to have a big sister too.."

"Well," Wanda smiled softly, "A sister-in-law can be like a real sister.."

"Really?" Morgan's eyes lit up.

"Really. And you know what?"

"What?" asked Morgan.

Wanda beckoned the little girl closer, whispering into her ear.

"I've always wanted a little sister.."

Morgan squealed joyfully, leaping into Wanda's lap.

"Yay! Now I've got a a big brother and a big sister!"

"Do you want a little brother too, Wanda?" Nate asked hopefully. "Lila and Cooper say I'm a real good little brother."

Wanda looked into Nate's sweet face. She had not, technically, ever wanted another brother. But, Nathaniel Pietro was named after both her twin brother and the woman she had considered a sister. That seemed too obvious a sign to ignore.

"Hmm.. Yes, I suppose I could use a little brother too" Wanda smiled.

Nate giggled, pouncing on her. The weight of the extra child caused Wanda to topple backwards, laughing.

Vision watched the three of them fondly for a moment, then laid back in the grass with them, also laughing.

Sometimes, Wanda thought, reaching to hold Vision's hand, the family you chose could be just as special as the one you were born with.


End file.
